


Palingenesis

by femme4jack



Series: The Tales of Recline the Berthformer [12]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Multi, Other, Plug and Play Sex, Size Kink, Spark Play
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-14
Updated: 2013-12-14
Packaged: 2018-01-04 14:04:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1081892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/femme4jack/pseuds/femme4jack
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Recline and Metroplex journey into his memories to learn the painful truth the metrotitan has blocked from himself.  On the way, they also discover just who the Protectobots are.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [White Aster (white_aster)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/white_aster/gifts).



"Sir, may I have a word with you?" Recline asked, hands clasped behind him, helm bowed, his oldest, most submissve coding at the forefront as he approached the city commander. Ultra Magnus was working late and alone on the quiet shift, surrounded by a sea of mist screens.

"Recline, I thought I made it clear that I operate by strict Autobot military protocol," Ultra Magnus replied, not looking up. "No unauthorized civilians are allowed in command areas. I have open office hours during duty shifts 14 c and 36 a. Schedule an appointment for yourself."

"Sir, my apologies. Metroplex let me in. This concerns him, and he has requested that I speak with you."

Ultra Magnus index finger twitched on his left hand. "I am always available to Metroplex. I am his city commander. Why would he send you to speak with me?"

"Sir, the matter is highly personal, sensitive, and the timing is complicated." 

Ultra Magnus shifted slightly in his seat, leaning back. "Metroplex?" 

"Please, Commander. I would appreciate if you would treat Recline in this matter as though you were speaking with Scamper," Metroplex responded via speaker rather than the more usual comm. His voice ever steady, emotion indiscernible. 

"It is difficult for Metroplex to speak about this himself due to restraints inherent in his coding," Recline continued. 

"Metroplex, is that accurate?" Ultra Magnus asked.

"Indeed, sir."

"Alright. Alright," Ultra Magnus stood and faced the berthformer, his posture military perfect, awaiting report.

"Sir, as you know, before Ratchet…" Recline paused as his vocalizer momentarily spat static. "Before he left for Cybertron, he assigned me the task of assisting Metroplex with the recovery of approximately 9.3 million years of memories. Rodimus renewed that assignment after… after. Together, Metroplex and I have located the block and have agreed upon a protocol for reviewing and reintegrating that data."

"Very good. I'll expect your report on the protocols at your convenience." 

"Sir, there's more. The block is doing damage to Metroplex's functionality. Ratchet was concerned about that, back when we first discovered him in stasis. While the block exists, Metroplex is also blocked from core components of his personality matrix. It could even cause dangerous glitches in his operations during critical and stressful situations. We've… you know we've already seen that in action," Recline flexed his potent field, as though to offer tangible assurance to the metrotitan that the malfunction during the horrendous battle had not been his fault. 

"Alright, continue."

"The memory review and reintegration is simply the first of many steps in restoring that functionality -- of giving Metroplex complete access to his very self again. The reason I'm approaching you about this now is that things are quiet, we are on a skeleton staff as it is, and Mirage assures me from the intel-side that now is an ideal time with the Decepticons so completely occupied in fortifying Chaar." 

"Mirage should not be sharing intel updates with a civilian," Ultra Magnus growled.

"That the 'Cons are on Chaar is not confidential information, sir."

"Nevertheless," Ultra Magnus made a note in his log to give instruction to the current chief of intelligence on the protocols he expected when dealing with unarmored civilian luxury furnishings, no matter who they once belonged to. 

"Sir, what I'm trying to say is that now would be an excellent time to begin this process. While we engage in the memory review and reintegration, Metroplex's systems will be on manual. We don't want to risk any traumatic memories triggering automatic defense responses. A skeleton staff under your direction can monitor manual functioning. While no time is devoid of outside threats, things are as quiet now as they likely will get. Most importantly, your time is divided now between Earth and Cybertron. Metroplex trusts _you_ to look after him during this process. We need at least a month for the first stage, and you are scheduled to return to Cybertron in two."

"No," Ultra Magnus said decisively. "Depending on what Metroplex finds in his memories, he could be left even _less_ functional than he is currently. No matter how quiet it is, we still face a serious Decepticon threat, along with a Quintesson one. My apologies, Metroplex, but this needs to wait." 

"Sir… First Aid feels the risk of waiting is…"

"Neither you nor First Aid are unbiased in this matter, Recline. I'm well aware of your misguided desire to initiate a bond, and that the recovery of those memories could clear the primary obstacle to such an action."

Recline's field retracted like a whip. He was stunned speechless by the Commander's implications.

"I… sir.. I would never…"

"Sir," Metroplex gently spoke up, "you know I monitor the wellbeing of all who dwell in my care--" the command center door hissed open, admitting Scamper, who moved to stand next to and slightly in front of Recline. The drone continued, seamlessly, "--we have never known of Recline or First Aid to put their own needs or desires before those of any lifeform."

Ultra Magnus rubbed his forehelm. "No… no they do not. And neither do you, Metroplex," he said, far more gently, placing a hand on Scamper's shoulder. "But mecha do not always process things as clearly when suppressing bonding protocols, nor when they are emotionally compromised by loss of comrades. And it is my job to make sure such complications do not affect decision making." 

"Sir, all of us are grieving. Who among us is not compromised?" Recline's voice had recovered its particular and unique calm, his field reaching out carefully as he pinged the city commander with a detailed outline of the protocol. "But Metroplex's needs have been put on the back burner to so many others, and we do have a window to begin to rectify that. He wants to know what happened so that he can begin to heal from whatever trauma he suffered. We will all be better off for that. But even were it only for his sake, it would be right."

Ultra Magnus scanned the information, quickly finding the multiple tagged fail safes that would allow it to be interrupted or halted in emergency.

"Metroplex, is this what _you_ want?" the city commander asked, looking intently at Scamper's optics.

"Yes, sir. We want to be fully functional, no matter the pain involved."

"I'll bring it up with Rodimus for approval in our scheduled briefing next shift."

"You know what he'll say," Recline smiled softly.

"I know you fragging well have him wrapped up in your tentacles now just as much as you did Optimus."

"My alt is always open to you, sir, or to anyone who needs me."

"Hmph. So you've said. I find my own berth perfectly adequate for recharging. I'll make the appropriate staffing revisions. Any change in our tactical situation cancels this. Understood?"

"Yes sir," "Thank you sir," Recline and Scamper spoke together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been a year since I've updated this story. I'm so very sorry at what real life has done to my writing and collaborations. For those who are still here, thank you so much for your patience. I finally know how this is moving forward, and as real life allows, I will update. Updates are likely to be short. Some may even be drabble length or sentence fics delving into Metroplex's memories. They may not be orderly or chronological. I just want to do some posting after so, so long.
> 
> Without offering too many spoilers, the memories will borrow elements from MTMTE, hence the IDW tag. I'm just too fascinated by G1 First Aid and IDW First Aid not to play with those differences.
> 
> And, just to help you remember where we left off since it has been SO LONG-- it was revealed previously that Metroplex had been discovered mysteriously in stasis just beyond Sol's system, and that he was keeping a group of sparks functioning. It was unknown whether the ancient colonial metrotitan had preserved sparks that he had originally been transporting to his colony, to be installed in new mecha as needed, or whether these were all that remained of those who dwelled in the cityformer. Metroplex was unable to access his own memories. Those sparks were placed into frames and became the Protectobot gestalt.
> 
> Huge thanks to Playswithworms for magically awakening my Recline and First Aid muses this week while I was home sick! And also to White Aster for requesting this fic ages and ages ago and giving me the idea!
> 
> Rating and warnings will change in future chapters


	2. Trinity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recline has a serious conversation with Metroplex's drones, and then they play.
> 
> Content: Mild PnP, snuggling, and spark play.

"Ask us," the quietest of Metroplex's drones said from amidst the tangle of mechanisms on Recline's charging platform.

"Ask you what, Slammer?" 

"If you can share what we learn together with First Aid and his brothers." 

Recline's platform vibrated slightly. "Memory recovery has a very strict code of ethics. I wouldn't ask that. Unless we recover their own distinct files -- and can positively identify to whom they belong. It's your decision which of your own memories you share, after you have reintegrated them."

"And we disagree," Six-Gun snapped, the embodiment of Metroplex's hostile, "mama bear" side. The part of the vast being who would protect his own at any cost. The defensive drone sat up, extracting himself from the pile. "The memories concern them, and should belong to them as well. It may be all they have of what they were." Six-Gun's finger poked into the plush platform, emphasizing those final words.

Recline shifted, gently urging Six-Gun back to his resting position. At least this way he could hold Metroplex close, even as he was held within cityformer. "I don't know if they even want those memories, dear ones. And _you_ may feel differently after you begin to review the files." 

"The memories are not just our own," Scamper explained, sitting now with his fellow drone as Slammer stretched out, then sat as well. Recline shifted to their new position, supporting limbs and struts. "Cityformer memories have long been sources for archivists, law enforcement, even ordinary citizens seeking greater clarity on events they were a part of."

"Even a city deserves some privacy," Recline countered softly. "You have rights now that may be rather at odds with your original coding. Those memories are not raw data or security files. They are also what _you_ thought and felt."

"Metroplex is not concerned with privacy other than the privacy of those who dwell within," Six-Gun said. "There are many files he does not consciously review without permission of those they concern, unless it is a matter of safety and security. There's much we no longer know, but we do know that cities who become private and jealous of their own memory files are dangerous."

"It is natural to want to share what concerns the only sparks Metroplex could kept safe," Slammer finished. 

"I don't wish to make an offer to the Protectobots that you later will regret and wish to revoke," Recline explained gently, field enfolding, assuring. "We do not know what we are going to find in those files. This is uncharted territory for me, and I've journeyed through blocked memories with many a mech." 

"Trust us, trust Metroplex," Scamper said, curling back into Recline's peace, reaching over to trace a playful pattern among the glyphs on his base. "Even if we find things we wish to hide, it is better that they be shared, openly, from the beginning."

 _To show that he is whole, no matter how broken,_ Recline thought silently, willing this to indeed be the case. 

"I will offer to share with the Protectobots what we learn together, but you may revoke that permission at any time," Recline said as the other two drones settled down once again on the platform. Recline could not monitor all of Metroplex's vastly complex systems, but he could monitor these three as they took the rare opportunity to play and recharge together, spending a few hours simply relaxing, a trinity of red, black, white and grey within a much larger whole. 

"I will not revoke it,' the three said as one, and Recline enfolded them. The time for words and worry was over. They had a month of grueling work ahead, and tonight was for pleasure. His cables twined and slid around limbs and between seams, connectors caressing eager ports, weaving them together even though they were already one. Later he would caress the small casings and then their very spark-nodes, relishing the massive fluctuations of a titanic field as the pleasure amplified and resonated in the vast furnace of Metroplex's sparkcore. 

Metroplex would, of course, dutifully warn his trusted skeleton crew of inhabitants "overload imminent" -- not that there would be any doubt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> see, I told you the updates would be short :-) Thank you for reading!!!


End file.
